Pied Piper of the Lake

I have not been to Lakeside Park since the 2nd of April and I must admit that I am missing my walks around the lake and my observations of the wildlife there. Work has kept me too busy to even go through my photos, but I feel I should make an effort.


The last time that I observed this bird at Lakeside Park was in October of 2019. From the front, it is a strange-looking creature with its black bib and those eyes that appear to see everything from every direction. It is remarkably hard to get close to.
From the side, it is easily identifiable as a pied-billed grebe.



It was extremely cautious, and the slightest suggestion that there may be something human-looking and it moved off, and out of range.


I circled the lake a few times in my rubber boots attempting to sneak up unawares, but this grebe was way too canny for me.

After my initial photos, the best that I could do was to take shots from a good distance away, and while being not very detailed, they do show what the grebe was hunting when it dived out of sight.


They do also show how the grebe was able to gracefully preen the feathers on its stomach while still in the water.
Another new arrival to Lakeside Park in the shape of the female red-winged blackbirds. They're not as brightly coloured as the males, with their plumage designed to blend into the background when nesting. They are still beautiful though.


Their arrival provoked a lot of interest from the male red-winged blackbirds who were doing their best to impress.


Another bird that was looking very splendid indeed was this European starling, perched above its nesting hole on a dead tree stump on the very edge of the lake.



While I'm on the topic of looking splendid, here is a grackle seemingly imprisoned by the reeds it was nesting in.





I also spotted a few more new arrivals. The photo to the left is I believe an eastern phoebe.




The photo to the right was taken too far away for any detail but it is the first of the northern flickers I have seen so far this year.
Time for some cute photos. The grey squirrels are still eating their way through their supply of black walnuts.

This red squirrel also got its hands on the most delicious looking black walnut I think I've ever seen... so gross!!

Copyright © wildlakeside.blogspot.com 2020 Scott Atkinson All Rights Reserved.
Location: Lakeside Park, 206 Lakeside Dr, Kitchener, ON N2M 4C5, Canada

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